Old School Mall expands

Saturday

May 25, 2013 at 6:00 PM

The Old School Antique Mall has expanded into additional rooms in the former Mullinville High School Building.

Patrick Clement

The Old School Antique Mall has expanded into additional rooms in the former Mullinville High School Building.
“We’re just trying to do something in this big wonderful building,” said Old School Antique Mall Manager Doris Headrick. “We want to get something going in this building, in Mullinville and Kiowa County.”
Opening last December, the only antique mall in Kiowa County closed for the winter and reopened in March with plans to expand.
Occupying the former home economics room, the mall has now expanded into the former band/choir room, opening spaces to accommodate the seven local antique deals that have booths on the first floor of the building.
“It was a nightmare, but we cleaned it up,” she said, referring to the hundreds of theater seat that had been stored in the room by the Twilight Theatre.
If Headrick has her way, the mall will eventually take over the entire building, which has been largely vacant since the Mullinville School District was consolidated with USD 422.
“I hope we can rent the whole thing if the board is agreeable,” said Headrick.
Open Saturdays 10-4 and Sundays 1-4, the mall has “everything from wagon wheels to fine china,” said Headrick.
They have placed signs in front of the building and along U.S. 400 in hopes of attracting the thousands of weekend drivers that pass through town everyday. City officials have agreed to allow the mall to use the corner by the tornado shelters.
J.C. Underwood has donated a large white box truck that will be placed along U.S. 54 at the south end of Main Street to promote the mall.
The large spaces are only $25 per month and Headrick said she has two spot remaining.
“Matt [Deighton] has one and my granddaughter Halie [Headrick] has taken one,” she said. “I know we’re only open two days a week, but we should get lots of business. We had a lot of business in December.”
She said the Mullinville Recreation Committee Board members have been supportive of the planned expansion, which could bring traffic to other area businesses and local sites like the Round Barn and the Kiowa County Veterans Memorial.
“We have high hopes,” said Headrick. “We’re getting there.”
Doris Headrick can be reached at (620) 548-2560

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.